Hamilton will try out a fifth camera soon in which six units will be assigned a camera for 30 to 60 days.
Chenoweth said he “highly doubts” the city will purchase body cameras this year, though it is in the city’s 2017 budget.
“In our position, we just don’t want to make a bad decision,” he said. “We will probably make our decision in 2018. We just don’t want to make a poor decision that will negatively impact the department, or the city, long term.”
As Fairfield is spending more than $212,000 for its cameras and the support system, it could be closer to a $500,000 commitment for Hamilton, Chenoweth said.
A final decision hasn’t been made on which officers would be assigned body cameras, though the 80 officers on patrol shift and traffic officers would be assigned a body camera. Detectives would likely use body cameras in pre-planned events, such as executing a search warrant.
Then there is the issue of what body camera footage is a public record, and what is not.
“There’s still some gray areas of what’s public record,” Chenoweth said.
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